Nut-lock.



PATENTED MAR. 14, 1905. H. SOHUETTE.

NUT LOOK APPLICATION FILED DEG.7,1904.

No. 784,63l.

Patented March 14, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

HERMANN SCHUETTE, OF ST. LOUIS. MISSOURI.

NUT-LOCK- SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 784,634, dated March 14, 1905. Application filed December 7, 1904. Serial No. 235,830.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, HERMANN SonUE'rTE, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Nut- Locks, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

My invention has relation to improvements in nut-locks; and it consists in the novel construction and arrangement of parts more fully set forth in the specification and pointed out in the claim.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of my device applied to a structural member. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on line 2 2 of Fig. 1, showing the cam of the locking-lever in engagement with the bolt and showing in dotted outline a wrench being applied to the nut and in position to pass over the projecting portion of the locking-lever. Fig. 3 is a view similar to-Fig. 2 with a wrench-socket closed over the locking-lever, the latter being tilted to disengage the cam portion thereof from the bolt; and Fig. 4 is a vertical section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2.

The object of my invention is to construct a nut-lock which shall be simple, durable, remain a permanent part of the nut, be effective under all circumstances, one which does not necessitate the removal of any portion of the material of the bolt, one in which the nut is released from the bolt upon the application of the wrench thereto, and one possessing further and other advantages better apparent from a detailed description of the invention, which is as follows:

Referring to the drawings, B represents a bolt, and N a nut passed over the screw-threaded portion of the same. Formed in the body of the nut,and preferably at one of the angles of the polygon defining the shape of the nut, is a chamber 1, extending through the outer and inner walls of the nut, the said chamber being designed to receive a locking-lever 2, pivoted between the upperand lower walls of the chamber, onearm of the lever terminating in a toothed or serrated cam-head 2, the teeth of which freely .ride over the threads of the bolt when the nut is being screwed or driven home, but which the moment the nut is attempted to be unscrewed or turned in the opposite directionexert a gripping effect upon the threads, and thus prevent the turning of the nut in said direction. To insure the necessary initial engagement of the teeth of the cam with the threads of the bolt, I provide suitable means for forcing said cam against the bolt, said means being in the form of a spring or resilient arm 3, which is inserted into a suitable passage or opening 4, forming an extension of and communicating with the chamber 1, the outer end of the spring being provided with a head 3', which closes the adjacent end of the passage 4 and at the same time serves to frictionally hold the spring in position. The inner end of the spring thus mounted bears permanently against the under side of the adjacent arm of the lever 2, forcing the opposite arm (or cam 2') inwardly or toward the bolt. v\Vhen the nut is screwed or driven home, the cam slips over the threads like a pawl over a ratchet; but with a reverse movement it grips the threads and locks the nut.

The locking-lever 2 is so shaped that a portion thereof vin, the arm adjacent to the spring 3-protrudes a suitable distance beyond the walls of the nut, said portion 2 being well rounded and merging with the plane surface of the adjacent side of the nut. By passing a wrench V over the nutthe jaws of the wrench passing over the rounded surface of the protruding portion of the lever force the said portion inwardly, thereby rocking the cam end of the lever away from the bolt and permitting the unscrewing of the nut, as is obvious. Of course in driving the nut home that is, in screwing it over the boltit is immaterial whether the toothed cam is in engagement with the bolt or not, the teeth freely riding over the threads for the rotation of the nut in this particular direction. It is only in the unscrewing of the nut that the wrench is applied in such a way as to oscillate the locking-lever away from the bolt. To prevent that arm of the lever 2 with which the spring 3 is in engagement from swinging out of the nut in the event the latter is removed from the bolt, I extend the wall of the chamber 1 in such manner as to partially overlap the end of said lever-arm, arresting its swing outwardly, as clearly shown in the drawings.

It will be seen that the teeth on the cam 2 tend toward the end of the lever-arm carrying them, whereby they act as pawls in passing freely over the threads of the bolt as the nut is driven home, but gripping said threaded surface for a reverse rotation of the nut. As shown, the cross-sectional area of the opening or passage 4 is sufficient to allow for the necessary play of the spring 3 for the depressed position of the locking-lever 2.

I do not wish to be limited to theprecise shape or configuration given the parts herein shown, as they may be varied without in any wise departing from either the nature or spirit of my invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim is- A nut-lock comprising a nut having a suitable chamber formed therein in communlca- 1 tion with the central opening of the nut, a closed passage formed in the nut and communicating with the said chamber, a locking-lever pivoted in said chamber and having at one end a serrated cam formation for engaging the threaded portion of the bolt over which the nut is passed, a spring mounted in the passage aforesaid and extending into the chamber and engaging the inner surface of the adjacent arm of the locking lever, thereby permanently forcing the cam into engagement with the bolt, a portion of the said adjacent arm projecting outside of the nut whereby the same can be engaged and depressed by the jaws of a wrench, the parts operating substantially as, and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

l-IERMANN SGHUETTE.

Witnesses:

EMIL STAREK, Jos. A. MIoHEL. 

